Our Story
by xXc0okieSsNcrEamXx
Summary: Something's wrong with Graziella. It's alot better than it sounds, but I've never been good with summaries. Please R&R, but don't be too harsh. This is my very first FanFiction. Rated T for some mature elements.
1. Chapter 1

1Graziella sure has been acting strange lately, thought Velma to herself as she waited for her best friend by Doc's candy store. They were going to catch a movie, something they hadn't done in what seemed like ages. Ever since they had met Ice and Riff , it seemed as though they never had any girl time. Not that Velma minded. She adored Ice and she knew he loved her, too. No, that wasn't the problem. The problem was Graziella. She seemed to be distancing herself. Velma hadn't seen her smile or laugh in weeks, and whenever she called to ask if she wanted to hang out, she was always too tired or sick. At first, Velma thought Graziella might be having problems with Riff, but he seem just as confused as she did. But she always did try to cheer up around the boys, especially him. As trampy as some people said she was, Graziella's heart belonged to the leader of the Jets, and it always would.

So, Velma had been really glad when she got a call from her friend asking her if she wanted to go see a Saturday matinee. Maybe she's finally ready to talk about what's been bugging her, Velma silently hoped.

"Hey!" Velma turned to see Graziella walking quickly up the block.

"Ooblee-oo!" Velma shouted back with a giggle. She was extremely relieved to see that Graziella's face seemed nice and flushed, the way it used to. Her grin was from ear to ear, her eyes shone, even her auburn hair seemed shinier. She gave her friend a quick hug and the two began walking arm in arm towards the movie theater. They chatted and laughed about just everything there was to walk about, but as soon as Velma mentioned the boys, Graziella turned pale and her eyes got that faraway look.

"What is it, what's wrong?" asked Velma, suddenly very alarmed. "Is it Riff?"

Graziella looked away for a few moments. When she turned back, the tears she had been holding in for so long began pouring down her face. They were hot and scorched her skin like fire. "Oh, Velma!" she cried, and then burst out sobbing.

"Shhh, c'mon, it'll be okay. Let's sit down over here and you can tell me everything," Velma said soothingly, while coaxing Graziella over to the nearest bench.

"Oh, Velma, I don't know what to do! I'm so scared!" Graziella whispered, because she knew saying it out loud would make everything even more real.

"_What? _ What happened?" Velma asked, whispering as well. Graziella was usually so tough and she couldn't figure out what could get her friend so upset.

"Vel," Graziella said even more quietly, while attempting to dry her eyes with tissues from her purse, "I'm pregnant."

**Hey, well okay, I hoped you liked the first chapter. I'll try to update as soon as possible. I have the first few chapters set up for the most part, and I just have to work on the ending. So, please review, criticism** **is accepted, but please don't be too harsh. This is my first ever FanFiction. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, everyone, so, so sorry it took me **_**so**_ **long to update!! I've been really busy and ended up working on two other stories as well, but here's another chapter for you!**

* * *

"Wha–wh–what?" Velma was utterly shocked; speechless. But not for long. "How? What? When?! Who?!" The words rolled off her tongue like lightning. But she knew. That father had to be Riff, of course, there was no doubt about.

By now, Graziella had seemed to gain some control. "I don't know it happened. I didn't mean for it to happen. Neither of us did. I mean, Riff and I were just out on a regular date. Then we stopped by his brother's place, but he was going out, and the next thing I knew we were making love." A smile played across her lips. "It was wonderful, Vel! I love him with my whole heart." The smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "But I don't know how I'm gonna tell him."

"He loves you so much, Graziella. Anyone in the world could see that! And Ice said Riff's always talking about. We both know he can get a little crazy with himself, but he would love that baby. You know that's true."

Graziella started to cry again. "I know." She laughed a little. "God, look at me. I'm already getting all hormonal!"

Velma giggled. "So, how far along are you?"

"It's gotta be about a month now. But I just found out about two and a half weeks ago."

Two and half weeks ago, thought Velma. Yeah, that's right. That's exactly when Graziella started acting so weird. She was so happy to find out that at least her best friend had not just been shunning her.

"Well, you gotta see a doctor soon, dontcha think?"

"I ain't going to any doctor til I talk to Riff." Graziella's attitude was returning and she felt loads better for getting that secret off her chest. "I'll tell him at the dance tonight. The sooner he knows, the better off we'll be."

* * *

Riff waited for Graziella in the lobby of her apartment building the way he always did. They both knew her parents weren't very fond of him to put it mildly. And he just knew if he went up there tonight, her father would know that he had taken the virginity of his little girl. And then he would probably skin him alive. Riff mentally kicked himself when it occurred to him that Graziella's father actually instilled fear in him. Him! Leader of the Jets! The best gang in the whole West Side! No way!

Just then, he heard the faint clicking of heels. He turned and stared. There she stood in a pretty orange dress that really showed off her knock-out body. She completely took his breath away. At that moment, he realized that nothing else mattered. She was his everything. She smiled that million-watt smile of her's and kissed him softly. Riff loved her kisses. They were the kind that never failed to send shockwaves through his whole body.

"Ready to go?" he asked quietly, as if speaking too loudly would ruin the magic that was Graziella.

"Ready," she whispered back, taking his hand.

They began walking to the gym, Riff's arm wrapped protectively around Graziella.

"So..."

"So..." They laughed. Graziella smiled. "You first."

Riff let out a breath. "Well, tonight Tony and me is inviting the Sharks to a war council. Dey crossed the line once too many times. We gotta show 'em who's in charge!"

Graziella looked away, horrified. Riff was quick to pick up on that. "What'sa matter?" he asked turning her towards him and lifting her chin, so she was looking him in the eyes.

She tried to suppress the tears that threatened to overflow just like that afternoon. In as strong a voice as she could muster, she said, "I just don't want you getting hurt is all." She turned away because she knew she would crack if she continued to look at him. Things were already going wrong. Riff pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Baby, I'm gonna be just fine. Don't you worry," he murmured into her hair. She nodded and they walked the rest of the way to the gym in silence. Graziella spent that time praying that Riff would be right.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I feel so bad that I haven't updated in so long..so here you go!**

* * *

The whole night felt like some sort of strange dream to Graziella. It's like her body was at the dance, but her soul was somewhere else. The words _war council_ echoed through her brain the whole time. But she did a good job of masking it in her opinion. She danced and talked and laughed just like all the other girls. She also continually dodged Velma's questioning eyes. But towards the middle of the night, she finally cornered her in the girls' bathroom.

"Well......?" She didn't see, annoyed, just curious.

Graziella let out and enormous sigh. "Well nothing! I haven't told him!"

"But you said—"

"Yes, I know what I said! But I just couldn't bring myself to tell him." At Velma's confused look, she said, "You know the boys are setting up a war council."

"So?" Velma didn't see how this had anything to do with the pregnancy.

"So, Riff's mind is completely on the rumble and taking down those damn Sharks. It's not exactly the best time to let him know I'm pregnant with his baby."

"Graziella, don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Make up excuses to avoid telling him. I know—"

"I'm not making up excuses! I wanna tell him, I really do! But he needs to focus on this right now. I promise I am going to tell him right after the rumble."

"Ok, well then let's get going. I told the boys we'd be back in a few minutes." The girls grabbed their purses and made their way back to the dance floor.

Little did they realize that a small, timid Puerto Rican girl, named Maria, had been hiding out in one of the bathroom stalls. She hadn't been in America very long, and the rambunctious dancing of the teenagers in the gym had made her nervous. She hadn't seen the two girls come into the bathroom, but she could hear them, and she knew they were natives. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop either, but she couldn't help but listen to their conversation. Not that she understood it. She though she had heard them mention something about her brother, Bernardo's gang, the Sharks, but dismissed the thought when they didn't say anything about it again. From what she could tell there was going to be some sort of rumble, whatever that was, and the girl, Graziella seemed to be her name, was having a baby. This also struck Maria as odd because all the people at the dance seemed to be kids around her age. And why didn't the baby's father know? Riff was his name. _Oh well_, Maria thought to herself, _I should just keep to myself_. Suddenly, the loud sounds of a Mambo burst through the bathroom door. Maria decided to head back to the dance floor. _Maybe something somewhat exciting will finally happen to me_, she thought dreamily.

* * *

Velma, Graziella, Ice, and Riff met up with the other Jets in front of Doc's about ten minutes before midnight. Everyone joked and laughed, but this was a very serious matter.

"Now look, when the Sharks come, you chicks cut out," Riff said, and Ice nodded. They didn't want those disgusting Spics anywhere near the girls.

Graziella smirked. "We might, and then again we might not." She didn't mean to sound obnoxious, but she desperately wanted to know what kind of rumble this was gonna be.

Riff looked irked, but she knew it was only because he was worried about her. "This ain't kid stuff, Graziella."

She continued to try to persuade him to let her stay. "I and Velma ain't kid stuff, neither. Are we, Vel?"

Velma had immediately picked up on Graziella's anxiety. "No thank you you-oo, ooblee-oo."

"And you can punctuate it!"

"Ooo!" They giggled and Ice and Riff couldn't help but smile. The girls were fairly sure they had gotten their way.

After a few moments of poking fun at pain in the ass Officer Krupke, the gang finally headed into the candy store. Doc tired to talk the boys out of fighting, but he fell on deaf ears, as the girls figured he would. Then, the Sharks arrived. Velma got so freaked out that she quickly gave Ice a peck on the lips and slipped out as soon as she could. Graziella was slightly annoyed with her, but she refused to move. Riff gave her a look and she returned it with one of her own. He finally lightly slapped her on the butt and she left hesistantly.

When she got outside to where Velma was waiting for her, Graziella burst out crying uncontrollably. Velma put her arm around her friend, whose shoulders shook violently every time she sobbed.

"Graziella, I promise you it's gonna be ok. Riff's gonna do whatever he can to take those Sharks down. And then after the rumble, you're gonna tell him about the baby and he's gonna be so excited about being a dad, he won't have another war council ever again." She smiled and pulled some tissues out of her bag to hand to her distraught friend.

"Do you really think so, Vel?" Graziella asked, blowing her nose.

"I know so."


	4. Chapter 4

Graziella woke up the next morning feeling sick to her stomach, and she knew it wasn't the morning sickness. Her intestines had been knotted in fear all night. The rumble was tonight. No one was really supposed to get hurt, but things happened. _What if—NO!_ She shook her head. She refused to think such thoughts. Riff was going to be just fine. But, God, the minutes seemed to be flying by and she dreaded that night.

Suddenly she heard knocking on her window. Riff was on the fire escape! Her heart soared when she saw him and she quickly unlocked the window and climbed out. Before she knew it she was lost in his kiss.

"Tell me everything," Graziella begged when they finally broke apart.

Riff smiled. "Ok, well we's was really going at it, me and Bernardo, trying to decide on weapons. Then Tony got there and he told us we'd be better off just slugging it out. So's we shook on that and now it's just gonna be a fair fight between Ice and Bernardo."

Graziella smiled one of the biggest smiles that had ever crossed her face. _Thank God_, she thought to herself. She knew Velma would be worried, but there was no way Ice could lose. "That's wonderful!" she practically screamed, throwing her arms around Riff. He held her close and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," Graziella whispered, looking up at him.

"I love you, too," he whispered back and then kissed her. It was the kind of kiss they both hated to end, but then again they had to breathe.

"I gotta go," Riff said regretfully. He really wanted to stay. "I'll see you tonight after the rumble."

Graziella smiled. She couldn't wait to tell him the news. "You betcha." They kissed one last time before parting. She couldn't have been happier.

* * *

Across town, it was now closing time at Madame Lucia's Bridal Shop. After clearing a few things up with her friend and Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, Maria was able to have some alone time with Tony. He was a native boy she had met at the dance after leaving her hiding place in the bathroom. Her brother did not approve and neither did any of their friends, but she didn't care. She had fallen head over heels for him, and he for her. At the moment, he was informing her of the rumble that was to take place between the Sharks and the Jets.

"No! You must go and stop it!" she cried passionately.

"But I already talked to Riff and the guys and—"

"Riff?" Maria repeated without realizing it.

Tony was confused. "Umm, yeah." Then he went back to his original train of thought. "It's just gonna be a fair fight between Ice and Bernardo."

Maria hadn't even been listening. "This Riff boy, does he have a girlfriend named Graziella?"

Tony was even more perplexed. "Yeah, but I don't see what—"

"Why doesn't he know about his child?" she innocently questioned.

Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing! "CHILD?!?! What child?! Riff doesn't have a kid!"

Now it was Maria's turn to be puzzled. "Yes, he does. It just hasn't been born yet. I heard that Graziella girl telling her friend that she had to tell Riff about their baby."

Tony gulped. Riff was like his brother, and as such, he had told him about him and Graziella having sex in his brother's apartment. But neither had ever considered a pregnancy! "I gotta tell—"

"No!" Maria yelled. At Tony's alarmed face she said, "I'm sorry, it's just that you cannot tell him. She has to tell him. Tonight. After the rumble. Which you must go and stop!"

"If it really means that much to you, I'll do it."

Maria smiled brightly and hugged him. Everything was going to be alright!

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so this is what I have so far. I've had such major writer's block for the longest time, which is why I kept putting off updating more chapters. I've finally got a pretty good idea of what I'm gonna do, though, so I'll update again as soon as I can.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so I've been on a roll lately! Hahaa. Here's another chapter! This is pretty much the climax, I think, so everything else should come pretty easily. It's about midnight, and I'm exhausted, so I'll update again as soon as possible. And thank you to everyone for their very nice comments! They truly are appreciated! Thanks again!**

* * *

Graziella sat at her vanity carefully applying her make-up. After her and Riff had gone steady, she had stopped dolling herself up to the infinite degree, realizing there was finally a guy who loved her for her. This was a special occasion, however. Tonight she was going to tell Riff about the start of their family, and she didn't want the lovely perk of extra hormones getting in the way.

Once she completed her make-over, Graziella took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She then looked lovingly at her stomach, maternal instincts kicking in. When she returned her gaze back to her reflection, she began to practice what exactly she would say to Riff.

"Riff, I'm having your baby," she said with a serious expression on her face. Then she sighed. "No, no, no. That's not right."

"Riff, I'm having a baby. But not just any baby, your baby!" she tried again, with a big, fake grin plastered on her face. It quickly turned into a real frown. "What the hell was that!?"

Inhaling deeply, she tried a third time. "Riff, I just thought you should know that you knocked me up." She slammed her fist on the vanity. "Damnit! Why is this so hard?! Okay, one more time!" She tried to make her face look as natural as possible. "Riff—"

"Yeah?" he replied with an adorable crooked smile. He was sitting by her open window on the fire escape.

"Oh my God! Riff! How long have you been sitting there?!?!" Graziella cried, heat rising to her cheeks.

"Just long enough to see ya making weird faces in the mirror and saying my name," he said, striding across the room and kissing her on the top of the head.

"Oh!" Relief flooded through her. She changed the subject quickly, in case he asked why she had been saying his name. "What are you doing her? Is the rumble over?" She desperately hoped so.

"Nah, I'm on my way to meet the fellas now. I just figgud I'd stop by and see how my best girl was doin'. We're still on for tonight after the rumble, right?" His eyes bore into hers.

Graziella forced a smile. "Of course," she said, pecking him on the lips.

"Great," he replied, grinning again. He kissed her a little deeper than before. "I love you, Graz. I'll see you tonight." He pressed his lips to her forehead and made his way back to the window.

As he did, Graziella was seized by a spasm of fear that paralyzed all her senses. Suddenly, all she could think about was Riff never knowing about the baby. Without considering the consequences, she blurted out, "I'm pregnant!"

Riff froze at the window sill. After a few painful seconds that felt more like years, he slowly turned around. His face was a mask of shock. He looked as if she had just slapped him and told him she was leaving him for a Shark.

"Wh-what?! Just from....just from that one time?" he finally said, his voice sounding raspy, like he hadn't used it in a long time.

"Yeah, just from that one time," Graziella answered, her eyes filling with tears. Her perfectly applied make-up would be ruined, but she didn't give a crap at that point.

Riff stumbled to the bed. It looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "How long have you known about this, Graz?" he asked weakly.

Her voice was almost a whisper. "Almost three weeks."

Then, something neither of them expected happened. Riff stood up and exploded. "THREE WEEKS?!?!?!? What the fuck, Graziella!!! Why the hell would you take that long to tell me?!?! And why the hell would you choose _tonight_ of all nights to tell me?!?!? Do you ever think anything through?!?!"

Graziella stood up, too. "SCREW YOU!!! Of course I've been thinking this through! What the hell else do you think has been on my mind these past three weeks?! Between that and you going off to rumble with the Sharks, I haven't gotten decent sleep since God knows when. And I didn't wanna tell you before the rumble! I was gonna wait til tonight, but I just got scared and...." She collapsed back into her chair, sobbing. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Now you won't be able to focus and I know how important this was to you, and I'm sorry!" It was a miracle she could get the words out, she was crying so hard.

Riff stood there, staring at her. What the hell was the matter with him? The girl he loved more than anything else in the world had just told him he was gonna be a father, and all he could think about was the timing of her telling him. Was he crazy? He was gonna be a father! A father! And Graziella was gonna be a mother! He and Graz were gonna be parents! How insane was that? His anger melted away even faster than it had come and he pulled his girlfriend into a tight embrace, rocking her gently. "Hey, hey. Shhh. It's gonna be alright. I'm right here."

She looked up at him, mascara and tears streaming down her face. "Oh God, Riff, I'm so

sorry," she gasped, "This isn't how I planned it at all. I understand if you're furious with me and—"

"Hey!" he cut her off. "Let me tell ya something. I'm an asshole. A huge asshole. If anyone's gonna be mad at someone, you're gonna be mad at me. This whole day's been crazy, and, hell, Graz, when you said you were pregnant, I just got so scared I didn't know what to do. I guess gettin' mad is the first thing I know how to do. But I love you with my whole heart, and umm, well, hell, I already love that kid." Riff had never been the best with expressing all those mushy feelings, but the words he spoke were one hundred percent sincere.

Graziella smiled through her tears and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh I love you, Riff. I love you so much!"

He hugged her back tightly, and for a few moments they just sat like sat, wrapped in each other's arms. Finally, he pulled away and took both her hands in his. "Graziella, I can't promise you that living with me will ever be easy and sometimes life might just be downright hard, but I do promise that I will always love you, til the day I die and even after that. And if you're willing to put up with an idiot like me forever, then will you marry me? I ain't got a ring or nothing, but just give me a couple months and—"

"Oh God, yes!!!" she cried, flinging herself at him and smashing her lips against his. "Yes, yes, yes! And don't be crazy! Ring or no ring, I want you. Now and forever!"

He smiled and kissed her again. Kissed his fiancé again. _Fiancé, huh?_ Yeah, he could definitely get used to that. Suddenly, her eyes caught the clock on her wall. "It's 5:30, Riff. Shouldn't you be getting ready to meet the guys now," she asked remorsefully.

Riff was torn. He knew he had the responsibility to show up at the rumble, but he didn't want to anymore. He just wanted to stay here with Graziella. "Yeah," he said. But he didn't move. "It doesn't feel right, going now."

"You have to go," she sighed, "I'm gonna be fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"Don't worry about it, babe, I promised you I'll be fine and I will be." He leaned forward and kissed her and then bent down and kissed her stomach. "I'll see you in a little while."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he whispered back. And with that, he was gone. Graziella smiled, feeling as though the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. She was still scared, however, and began to pray that everything would go well and that Riff would be fine.


	6. Chapter 6

Riff was unusually quiet as he and the Jets made their way to the highway where they'd be rumbling with the Sharks. All he could think about was Graziella and their baby. A blanket of silence covered the gang, but it was soon shattered by Action.

"Hey, hey! What's witcha guys tonight? We're fin'ly 'bout to rumble with da Sharks," he said, jumping around, throwing punches at no one in particular, "and you's start actin' like a buncha wet blankets. You's thinkin' of punkin' out or—"

"Cut it!" Riff cut him off, shoving him to the side. "Ain't nobody punkin' out. Just 'cause we all ain't a buncha loud mouth guineas—"

"Alright, alright!" Action replied, his short temper flaring. "I was just sayin'...."

"Well don't," Riff threw back. After everything that had happened, Action being a pain in the ass was the last thing he needed.

By that point, the calm silence had officially been broken. Riff walked a little bit ahead of the pack. Ice quickly caught up with him.

"Hey, man, is everything alright with you and Graziella?" he asked.

"What makes ya say that?" Riff shot back.

"Well, I don't know. Ya went to see her before ya met up with us and now you're actin' kinda funny, so I was just wonderin'," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, we're fine," he grinned. "We're great actually. I—"

Riff was suddenly interrupted by whistling. The Sharks' signal. He hadn't even noticed that they'd reached the highway. As the two gangs came face to face, he realized that it was now or never.

* * *

As Tony walked through the streets, he was consumed with thoughts of Maria. He was going to see her tonight after the rumble, or the rumble that wasn't going to be a rumble. As thoughts of the fight flashed through his mind, so did the prospect of Riff and Graziella being parents. It seemed completely unreal to him, but then again the idea of a chance meeting with the love of your life at a local dance might seem pretty ridiculous to some people, too. Then he recalled Maria telling him that Graziella was waiting until after the rumble to tell Riff, which meant he didn't even know yet! Maybe it really was best for everyone involved for him to stop the rumble. He arrived at the highway just in time to see Ice and Bernardo beginning to throw punches.

* * *

Riff was the first one to see Tony arrive. "Hey, Tony! Over here!" he said, smiling broadly. The more people there to back up the Jets, the better. He soon noticed something was off, however. His smile faded as Tony made a move to break up the fight.

"Tony, what are ya doin'?!" Riff yelled, while attempting to pull him back.

"No!" Tony cried. "You guys gotta stop this!" The Jets all took a step back, shocked. Tony then turned to Bernardo and the Sharks. "C'mon. There's no need for this! Huh, Nardo?" he asked, sticking his hand out.

"Tony!" Riff yelled, completely thrown. What the hell was he doing?

"That's _Ber_nardo!" the leader of the Sharks replied venomously, shoving Tony to the ground. Riff and Ice again tried to restrain him, but Tony would not be stopped. For the second time, he begged the gangs to forget about the rumble.

Bernardo and his damn PR's started to taunt Tony, calling him a "scared chicken". He still refused to fight, however. As Bernardo took a few cheap shots at him, something inside Riff snapped. _That's it!_, he thought to himself. _I've had enough of their shit! No family or buddies o' mine are gonna live in a world overrun by these Spics!_ He then proceeded to punch Bernardo in the face. Once he recovered from the blow, he gave Riff a furiously surprised look, which surely meant it was on.

Riff ripped off his jacket and instantly pulled out pocketknife in the same moment that Bernardo did. Tony, who was being held back by Ice and Tiger, implored them to let it go. He couldn't, however. He was doing this for Graziella and their child. Tony finally broke free just as Riff was about to stab Bernardo.

"No!" he cried, pulling his best friend off his lover's brother.

"Tony, stop it! I know what I'm doing!" Riff hissed through gritted teeth.

He didn't realize, however, that Bernardo was back on his feet, ready to rumble once again. Turning from Tony quickly, he raced back to where he had left Bernardo. He was greeted by the sharp agony of the Shark's knife in his abdomen. Letting out a cry of pain, he turned toward his gang and collapsed. Time seemed to stand still.

_This can't be happening!_, thought Tony to himself. _Not Riff! Not now!_ He knelt beside his fallen friend, tears stinging his eyes. "Riff, buddy, c'mon. You can't die on us now!"

Riff looked up at his best friend, struggling to speak. "Womb to tomb?" he asked.

Tony fought the urge to cry. "Birth to earth," he replied. "But it doesn't matter now, Riff," he continued. "You're gonna live! Y'know why?" He had to tell him. "Because you're gonna be a dad, buddy." The Jets all gasped, not believing what they were hearing. "Graziella was waiting to tell you, but—"

"I....I know," Riff managed to say. "She told me. But I'm...not gonna make it. Promise me you'll take care of her?"

"But, Riff, you're going to—"

"Promise me, Tony!" he yelled, despite excruciating pain.

"Alright, buddy, I promise."

"And tell her...tell her that I love her...more than.....anything. And," Riff began to choke up, "tell her I'm sorry." His eyes slowly closed. Riff died whispering Graziella's name.

The Jets watched in horror as their leader died, hanging their heads. Tony stared at Riff's blade in his hand, a massive rage building inside him. Bernardo stared at his own blade, which was covered in Riff's blood, the shock of what he had done settling in. He hadn't meant to kill him! He just—

Suddenly, Tony released a cry of fury and, without thinking, ran forward and stabbed Bernardo, killing him instantly.

All hell broke loose. Jets and Sharks began attacking one another, seeking revenge for their leaders. Tony lay in the corner, mourning his friend and wondering what he would tell Maria. Just then, police sirens sliced the air. The gang members looked up and, after throwing in a few more punches and kicks, made a run for it.

As the Jets ran as far away from the highway as they could, one thought raced through all of their minds: how were they going to tell Graziella?

* * *

**A/N: Ahhhh!!! This was definitely the hardest chapter for me to write so far! You have no idea how much I didn't want to kill Riff, but I _had _to! I'm crying right now, though, because writing this is making me so sad! I'll try to update again soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So sorry for taking so long to update! I had massive, massive writer's block and had absolutely no idea how to get what I was thinking in my head onto paper! But here you go! I'm working on the last chapter now so I hope to have it up soon.**

Graziella walked out of her apartment building and down the streets of West Side NYC slowly. To her, the more she lagged on her way to Doc's candy store, the better the chances that Riff would be waiting for her when she got there. As she strolled toward her destination, she began to hum and fantasize about her and Riff's future. In her mind she conjured up a three-story house with a big backyard, a beautiful garden, and a white-picket fence. The works. She laughed out loud at the thought of her fiancé in a fancy coat and tie and her in a big, expensive gown, hosting the part of the year. Yeah, sure they were pipe dreams. But they were pipe dreams that they would share together. Her, Riff, and the baby. The baby. Graziella caressed her stomach gently, a feeling of warmth spreading through her. At that moment all she wanted to do was be with Riff. She looked up to find that she was right near the playground. Grinning like a fool, she couldn't stop herself from skipping up the steps and into Doc's.

Velma was sitting at one of the tables in the back, nervously wringing her hands. Graziella felt a rush of compassion for her friend. _Oh, she must be crazy with worry!_, she thought.

"Vel," Graziella touched her shoulder lightly.

Velma practically jumped out of her skin. "Oh, Graz!" she cried, jumping up and hugging her.

Graziella hugged her back, then pulled away and looked her straight in the eye. "Now look, don't ya go worryin'! Ice's gonna be just fine!"

"Oh, I know!" she sighed, falling back into her chair. "I just wish he'd get here already!"

"I know how you feel," Graziella claimed as she took the seat opposite the blonde.

"Oh, Graz, I'm so sorry!" Velma exclaimed. "Here I am thinking about myself when you've got such important news for Riff!"

"It's okay!" Graziella reassured her friend with a smile. Then she giggled. "Oh, God, Vel, everything is wonderful!"

The word confused did not give justice to the look on Velma's face. "Are ya feelin' alright?" she asked, skeptically.

Graziella giggled again. "I feel incredible, Vel!" Finally, she explained. "Riff stopped by before the rumble."

"And......?" Velma leaned forward eagerly.

"Oh, at first I thought it was gonna be a disaster! He started to leave and I just blurted out 'I'm pregnant!' like a big idiot!"

"What did he say to that?" Velma interrupted.

"What do ya think? He was shocked, of course! Then he got real mad when I told him I'd known for three weeks and o' course I started to—but, oh God, Vel, it doesn't matter!" Graziella was getting out of breath in her excitement. "Riff proposed! We're getting married!"

"Ahhh!" Velma screamed in excitement as both girls jumped up and embraced. "See! What did I tell ya?"

"Oh, you were right!" Graziella exclaimed, hugging her best friend again.

The two girls sat back down, happily discussing wedding plans. When the bell rang, they both jumped and looked up expectantly, only to be disappointed. It was just Doc.

"Ev'nin', girls," he greeted them.

"Hey, Doc," they replied in unison.

"Waitin' for those boyfriends o' yours again?"

"What else?" Velma asked with a giddy chuckle.

With perfect timing, the bell rang again as the Jets began to file in. Velma jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ice's waist. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her forehead. Looking up, she realized something was terribly wrong.

Obviously, the realization hadn't dawned on Graziella. Still smiling broadly, she raced forward. "Where is he? Where's Riff?" she asked excitedly. She looked from face to face. A-rab. Action. Snowboy. Baby John. Tiger. Mouthpiece. Gee-Tar. Big Deal. Ice. Their faces all held the same expression. She had seen that expression before, when the soldiers came to her house to inform her family that her brother had been killed in Korea. She stumbled back, grabbing the counter for support. Tears blinding her, heart thumping madly, she began to scream. "No. No! NO! No, no, no, no, NO! Where is he? Where is he, where is he, where is he?!"

She felt arms reach out to grab her, but pulled away. "Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "Where is he?!"

"Graziella," she thought it was Ice talking, but couldn't be sure. "Graziella," he repeated, trying to keep it together, "it was an accident. Riff was—"

"NO!!!" she hollered again. She couldn't breathe. She felt the world closing in on her. She had to get out! She had to get away from everyone! Tripping towards the door while bawling her eyes out, Graziella felt her heart rip in two. It was as if God had realized she was too happy. Like He realized that one person couldn't be that ecstatic, so He took it all away from her.

She managed to stumble to the door and, ripping it open, took a step outside. The fresh air, which usually always cleared her head, simply felt like some sort of chemical that was killing her slowly. Choking on her tears, Graziella made a move to run down the steps, but her footing was off and she felt herself falling. Immediately the strong arms of Ice and A-rab were around her. They, along with Velma and the other Jets, attempted to sit her down and restrain her.

"Let me go!" Graziella wept, writhing in their grip. She began blindly slapping each of the boys. "How could you let this happen! Why didn't you stop him? Why, why, why?!" she screamed. Her cries became muffled as Velma, who was sobbing as well, wrapped her arms around her.

"It was an accident, Graziella," said Baby John shyly, awkwardly patting her red hair. "Tony tried to stop the rumble, but it only made it worse. Then Bernardo and Riff—"

He was cut off by Graziella's moan. Action punched Baby John in the arm and Ice gave him a look that said "This isn't the time to talk about it."

Still wanting to make the girl feel better, Baby John pulled Riff's jacket out from behind his back. He timidly wrapped it around Graziella's shaking shoulders. Surprised, she looked up, eyes puffy and make-up dripping down her face, and ran her fingers over it. Fresh tears spilled forth once again as she lovingly remembered the boy who'd worn that jacket. Her best friend. Her protector. The only man she'd ever love. The father of her child, and the husband she would never have.

Chin trembling, she whispered, "Thank you." Baby John and the other Jets just stared at her sadly.

The teens all looked up nervously as police sirens blared in the distance. Ice suddenly jumped up. "We gotta get outta here," he said, taking control of the gang. "Split up and look for Tony. We'll meet back at the old parking garage. And whatever you do, don't get caught!" he warned. Velma jumped up and latched onto his arm, while the boys helped the weakened Graziella off the steps. In small groups they began to run off into the night.

* * *

Ice and Velma held onto the unsteady Graziella as the trio hurried to the tired, forgotten garage. Ice figured it would be easier to get the girls there first, as opposed to dragging them through the streets, especially Graziella. Once they had situated themselves by the old lot, Velma and Graziella tried to convince him to go help the boys look for Tony, but he refused.

"What are two, crazy? Like hell I'm gonna leave you alone back here!" he said sternly, finalizing it. He opened his arms as his still dazed girlfriend fell into them.

Leaning her head against his broad chest, Velma whispered, "I think we should just let Graz be for now. She really wants to just be alone."

Ice nodded, and the young couple just stood there, wrapped in each others' arms.

Graziella was sitting hidden away from sight on some old crates in the shadows. She was still sobbing, but quietly now. She still felt as if she were suffocating. She wanted to die. She _needed_ to die. How on earth could she live without him? Anything seemed like a better alternative to that. She'd rather swallow arsenic, jump in front of a bus, or drown in the ocean than go a single day without him by her side. She probably would have by now had it not been for one thing—the baby. By taking her own life, that meant she would have to also take the life of her unborn child. Maybe it was best that way though. They would all be together again. And how could she possibly raise a kid all on her own? She could never be like one of those flaky tramps who ran off and married the first guy in sight to cover up for "love child." Graziella didn't give a _damn_ what the hell anyone else thought of her. She just didn't want to live life without Riff. So maybe suicide was the answer..........

Graziella, Ice, and Velma all jerked their head backwards as Jets began to jump the fence and join them. Graziella still somehow expected one of those boys to be him. But she knew that was impossible. Finally, all the boys had returned. No luck. Not one of them had found Tony. They began lamenting over the rumble, but stopped as soon as Riff's name came up.

A sob broke through Graziella's lips. "Riff, Riff, I want Riff!" she cried hysterically. Velma wrapped her arms around her friend once more. The boys tried to comfort her, but they fell on deaf ears. Suddenly burning with fury, they swore to get back at the Sharks.

A beer bottle being thrown from an upper apartment window startled them all. The girls screamed and ran behind the Jets. When Action blew his top, Ice angrily pulled everyone into the garage. He began lecturing them on the importance of remaining cool under pressure. Soon enough, the gang was again off into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

The Jets walked cautiously down the street. Velma slowly paced herself, one hand held tightly by Ice and the other holding onto Graziella. Trying to be strong, she quickly looked over her shoulder every few minutes, only to see her friend's grim, tear-stained, starch white face. The red-head's eyes were dull and lifeless as she stumbled along with the gang. Velma opened her mouth, hoping to say a few comforting words, when suddenly she heard, "Hey, buddy boys!" Ice turned quickly, and everybody else followed suit. There was Anybodys, racing up the block. Velma couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly. Couldn't she see they were busy? They didn't have time for her childish attempts to get into the Jets.

Obviously, A-rab was thinking along the same lines as her. ""Ah, go wear a skirt," he sneered.

Anybodys turned away from him and continued, "I got scabby knees. Listen—"

Ice clearly had no intention of listening to her either. "The first thing we do: we start showin' around like we ain't go nothin' ta hide," he interrupted.

Graziella stared at the scene before her without really seeing. Nothing made sense to her anymore. Whenever anybody said something, all she heard was a loud buzzing in her head. What was the point? What was the point of anything anymore? Riff was gone and nothing and nobody could bring him back. So why talk? There was no point to it anymore. There was no point to living anymore. She was finally drawn back to reality by Anybodys shout.

"Suppose they ask ya where's Tony, an' what party's lookin' for him—_with a gun_!"

_A gun! How many more people are gonna die tonight?! _Graziella thought to herself. She only heard bits and pieces of the conversation after that. Apparently Anybodys had gone and spied on them PR's and found that Chino was hunting for Tony. Graziella felt like she was gonna be sick. She hadn't been overly close with Tony, but he had been Riff's best friend and a really nice guy the few times she had talked to him. _How much more blood is gone have to be shed before this crap stops?! _Preoccupied with her thoughts, Graz hadn't heard the rest of what was going on, and so it was a surprise to her when Velma began dragging her down the street by the elbow.

"What's goin' on?" she asked, her voice raspy. It sounded as if she hadn't used it in years.

"We're splittin' up—lookin' for Tony," Velma replied, sounding frantic.

* * *

The duo moved swiftly in silence, thoroughly checking every nook and cranny on the streets for the former Jet. Stopping for a moment to catch their breath, Velma looked at her best friend. Placing a hand gently on her arm, she started, "Graz," she sighed. "Graz, I can't even begin to imagine what you're goin' through." The blonde felt immediately guilty. She was so relieved that Ice was still with her, meanwhile he had been the one that was supposed to be fighting. Riff was just supposed to be on the sidelines, but yet he was dead. "B-but," she continued, "you'll always have us—always. Just remember that," she finished softly.

Graziella shrugged her shoulders, too choked up to do anything else. She knew that Velma and Ice and the boys would always be behind her. They were her family—maybe a little bit dysfunctional, but still her family. So how was she supposed to tell her best friend that she just wasn't sure if that was enough? How was she supposed to say good-bye to her and the Jets? How was she supposed to explain to them that she simply couldn't go on living?

Velma nodded slowly. "Let's head back to Doc's," she whispered. Linking her arm through Graziella's, the two made their way back to the tiny drugstore. On the corner, with Doc's in sight, the girls heard the most sickening sound they had ever come across. _BANG!_ It came from the playground. Screaming, Velma went to pull Graziella into Doc's, but the scarlet-haired girl shook her off and raced to the playground. "Graz, no! What are you doin'?!" she shrieked, taking off after her.

The girls raced into the playground, where a number of Jets and Sharks, alike, had already gathered, and froze at the sight before them. Chino was standing a few feet away, lowering the gun that was in his hand, looking terrified. Tony was laying on the ground, blood pooling around him. He had taken a clean shot through the back. Above him was a beautiful, petite Puerto Rican girl. She was holding his hand and willing him back to life, obviously trying to hold back the flow of tears Graziella knew she wanted so desperately to release. _Bernardo's sister?_ Graziella suddenly had a flashback to Tony kissing the young girl at the dance last night. She gasped quietly. _It couldn't be!_ She glanced over to Velma, who was hanging from Ice's arm, and looking equally shocked.

"C'mon, Tony!" Graziella whispered. "C'mon, you gotta live!" She was in tears once more. Her head lowered and her shoulders slumped when everyone realized that he was dead. She looked up in surprise, however, when she felt the fabric of Action's jacket brush past her arm. Ice pulled Velma behind him as he and the Jets moved to face off with the Sharks. _Oh, God! No more, please!_

Both gangs froze when the Spanish girl stood up a cried, "Stay back!" Graziella and Velma both stared at her, startled by the strength in her voice. She held out her hand to Chino, who dropped the gun into her grasp. She stared at it for a moment before demanding, "How do you fire this gun, Chino? Just by pulling this little trigger?" she finished fiercely, pointing the gun at the killer. The girls gasped in fear and, clinging to each other, stepped back along with everybody else. "How many bullets are left, Chino?" she went on, growing angrier by the minute. "Enough for you?" she screamed, pointing it at another Shark. "And you?" she continued, now turning towards the Jets. "All of you! You all killed him! And my brother and Riff!" she screeched, her eyes resting on Graziella for a split second. His name hit her like a fresh dagger in her heart. "Not with bullets and guns! With hate! Well, I can kill, too! Because now _I _have hate!" She looked around at everybody, the once innocent girl now raving like a madwoman. "How many can I kill, Chino? How many—and still have one bullet left for me?"

For the briefest moment, Graziella wanted to step forward and scream, "Take me!" She so desperately wanted to, but something held her firmly where she was. In the next instant, the girl had dropped the gun and fell to the ground, sobbing. Schrank stepped forward slowly. A lot of good he had done. Where had he been a few hours ago? The girl, seeing that he was heading towards the body, rushed to Tony and, wrapping her arms around him, screamed, "DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" She slowly looked up and examined the faces of those around her. Everyone seemed to be a mix of shame, hurt, and embarrassment. Her eyes focused on Graziella and she realized that all her agony was perfectly mirrored in the girl's emerald green eyes. She looked pleadingly from the Sharks to the Jets, begging for peace.

Graziella was taken off guard by the strong desire to go wrap her arms around the small girl. She felt somewhere, burning deep inside her, a strong connection to Bernardo's sister—Tony's love. Her heart began to glow when Action, followed by a couple other Jets, went to lift Tony's body. It skipped a beat when they almost dropped him, but then picked up and began to thump faster when several Sharks came to their aid. Tears glistening in her eyes, she watched as they carried him out of the playground in a processional fashion. Allowing her hand to slip out of Velma's, she found herself following Baby John as he draped the girl's shawl around her. Tentatively she stood behind the Puerto Rican girl, testing the waters. After standing there for what felt like hours, she gently rested her hand on her shoulder.

Maria turned in slight surprise when she felt the touch on her arm. She was shocked to see the pretty red-haired girl standing there, tears streaming down her face, in a fashion matching her own. She hesitated for a second, before placing her own hand over the Jet girl's in a comforting fashion.

Graziella helped the girl stand up and slowly put her hand in her own. She had been right–about everything. Hatred was what had killed Riff and Tony and Bernardo. In that moment, Graziella released every bit of hatred she had ever harbored from her heart. She realized that she and this girl, this girl that Tony had loved, weren't so different after all. And in that instant, Graziella chose what Maria had chose—life. Maria had held that gun. She'd had all the power. She could've fired and killed God knows how many people, including herself. Yet, she hadn't. And neither would Graziella. She would live. She would live for him and she would live for their baby. She knew then that that was what had held her back earlier. Him. No matter where he was, Riff would always be with her and he would always be watching her. _Okay, Riff, ya got me, _she silently spoke to him. _I'm here. And I'll be here for as long as I'm needed._ _And I promise you that our baby will know you. He'll know you and he'll love you, like I do. And one day, we'll all be together again. I love you, Riff. _She smiled softly, knowing that wherever he was, he had heard her.

Graziella and Maria slowly made their way out of the playground, hand in hand. The Jets and Sharks followed them out, in a way that was almost reverent. Graziella looked back, her face softening at the sight of Velma and Ice and all the others. They _were_ her family. And Vel was right—they would always be there. She then turned to face the Sharks, knowing that they were Maria's family. And maybe, just maybe, they would all be whole one day.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh my gosh! So, that's it! After everything, this story is finally over! Well, I'm kinda sad, but I wanna say thank you, thank you, thank you to all my amazing reviewers! You motivated me to keep going even when I thought I couldn't---thank you guys _so _much! I hope you've enjoyed it!


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